admin said
Welcome Ramsay & Steve! We're always happy to hear from senior dogs. Please keep us posted. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.

Did you end up getting a harness from the Tripawds Gear Shop? If so which one? We'd love to hear your feedback.

I'm going to get the Ruff Wear harness but I haven't measured him yet since he just had the operation yesterday. I should be picking him up on Thursday so I'll measure him then. Until I get it, I'll have to use a towel.

jerry said
Hey Steve, instead of using a towel one of the tricks we recommend is getting a canvas grocery bag, cutting the sides open, and using it as a sling. Hoist your dog by using the handles on the bag. That makes a good temporary sling.

I'll give this a try. Thanks for the tip. I'll let you know how it works out.

Well I picked up my boy yesterday from the vet.

First impressions- It's going to be rough. It hurts to see him lurch about. He wouldn't get out of the car when I got home, so I had to call for assistance. Unfortunately, I have five steps going into the house, both front and back. He was hesitant going up, which I expected but he eventually went in. We took him out to the back. He wouldn't go down the steps, again which I expected, so I carried him. I have two other dogs, so I had them meet him one at a time. That actually went better then I thought. They didn't harass him all night. He tried to pee but almost fell over, even with me trying to keep him steady with a makeshift sling. Eventually he did by not raising his leg. I carried him inside.

After my help left, I feed him. He still has a good appetite so that was encouraging. I ended up sitting next to him watching tv with his head on my leg. I decided to sleep on the couch, so he wouldn't have to go down the hall to the bedroom. After a couple of hours, he staggered down there anyways, so I followed. I have taken my bed frame apart and just have the mattress on the floor, so he can get onto it easier. He half flopped, half fell onto it. It agonizing seeing him like this. He was restless, maybe in pain, although I had given him all his meds. I couldn't help but wonder if I had done the right thing. I know it's very early, but the way he is discourages me. I have to hope things will improve. If I didn't try the amputation, I would berate myself for the rest of my life for not giving him a chance. It still hurts though to see him like this.

In the middle of the night he had to go out to the bathroom. I carried him down and used the sling to help him around but he didn't seem to need it much other then when he peed. He actually walked around a bit. He wouldn't go up the stairs, so I ended up carrying him in. He laid down by the couch again (where I set up some blankets to make it more comfortable) and we slept until the morning.

So a new day dawns, and we'll see how we manage it. I'll try to focus on one day at a time and stay positive.